State of Play (2003)

 

I take a second to gush about this miniseries every time I review something that features any actor who was in it, as well as when I watch other news-media dramas like The Field of Blood and The Hour (both of which, incidentally, also feature State of Play alumni – all kowtow to the master.)  In light of all that, it’s high time I shine a little light on the series itself.

 

I saw State of Play years ago, when I was exploring James McAvoy’s work.  The six-part miniseries, with stellar acting, tight plotting, and twists that hit you like a train, introduced me to John Simm and David Morrissey and changed my appreciation for Kelly Macdonald and Billy Nighy into full-blown love.  It also showed off the impressive writing talents of Paul Abbott, a notion further confirmed when I moved on to Shameless, his other project featuring McAvoy.

 

It’s the story of a story – a news investigation that unearths deeper channels and darker secrets at every turn.  When the young researcher of British MP Stephen Collins falls onto a line in the London underground, it quickly becomes apparent to a small group of reporters that the woman didn’t die by accident.  Led by the dogged, sharp-witted Cal McCaffrey (Simm,) they follow a trail strewn with a mysterious stolen briefcase, high-profile infidelity, and shady dealings between Whitehall and its lobbyists.

 

As I said, the narrative is fantastic.  The show moves at breakneck speed where plot and intrigue are concerned, but it also knows when to ease up and deliver softer character moments.  It feels lived-in, like we’ve dropped in on characters who won’t cease to exist when the story concludes.  The first time around, it’s an adrenaline-fueled blast watching the tense scenes and trying to make deductive leaps along with Cal and his fellow newshounds.  It’s almost as much fun on see again, though, as you recognize the carefully-laid signs and hints that you missed on first watch.

 

I love the London newspaper culture displayed here.  The ins and outs of story-chasing, and the way the reporters’ any-means-necessary approach delicately toes the line of legality, is fascinating.  It’s gritty and smart, full of ingenuity, legwork, and just a little sleaziness.  I also like that the police department, with whom the newspaper is races to reach the right conclusions, isn’t a bunch of incompetent flatfoots or red-tape-toting bureaucrats standing in the way of the scoop.  Yes, that’s how Cal and company view them at first, much like DCI Bell thinks the reporters are nosey, disruptive flies in his investigative ointment, but we learn that both sides are truly trying to do their jobs, a task they accomplish better when they collaborate.

 

I can’t begin to cover all the superb acting here, so I’ll just hit my absolute favorites.  John Simm plays Cal with keen perceptiveness and a casual, offhand charm, a terrific lead who feels more like a person than a character.  Kelly Macdonald is excellent as his partner in crime Della, a smart young woman with good instincts and an interesting mix between hardness and softness.  And enough can’t be said about Bill Nighy’s performance as editor Cameron Foster; the offbeat long-suffering master of the newsroom, he’s by turns sly, commanding, and drily hilarious.

 

Warnings

 

Language, violence, sexual content (including sex scenes,) drinking, and thematic elements.